Wayne and Wanda
Wayne and Wanda are a singing duo who performed regularly during the first season of The Muppet Show, often introduced by Sam the Eagle, who approved of their "wholesome, uplifting, and decent" act but was constantly frustrated by their inability to get past the first verse of any song. While their sketches began as mellow and classy, they always ended in disaster, seemingly foretold by the title of their chosen song. This treacly act, consisting of love songs often from musicals and operettas, was reminiscent of Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald. Wayne and Wanda even went so far as to tackle "Indian Love Call" (which Eddy and MacDonald had performed in Rose-Marie) in episode 106. The characters first appeared in the unreleased pilot version of episode 101. In the middle of an extended version of "The Muppet Show Theme", Kermit introduced a clip of them singing "You Made Me Love You", even though neither the song nor the performers were featured in the pilot itself. Wanda made her first official appearance in the "At the Dance" segment in the same episode, where she danced with Mahna Mahna in both the pilot and broadcast versions. Wayne and Wanda, as a pair, were properly introduced in a rare backstage appearance in episode 102, in which they complained that their act had been cut and badmouthed guest star Connie Stevens until they realized that she was eavesdropping on their conversation. Their first onstage act was "Stormy Weather" in episode 103. The pair, who had been featured in a majority of the first season episodes, were cut entirely from the second season, due in part to the departure of Wanda's performer, Eren Ozker, and in part to the promotion of Jerry Juhl to head writer, who shifted the show's focus from running gags to character-based comedy. As a result, Wayne and Wanda, who had rarely appeared backstage during the first season and consequently never developed as individual characters, were cut from the show's regular line-up. Wayne, however, was brought back as an individual performer in the third season, singing solo numbers like "My Wild Irish Rose" and "Dog Walk", and appearing as the hero in series of Muppet Melodrama sketches in which he attempted to save Miss Piggy from Uncle Deadly's dastardly schemes. The Wanda puppet, with different hair and attire, continued to be used as a Whatnot in "At the Dance" segments, as well as a background puppet throughout the next four years of The Muppet Show. In episode 406, Wanda (now played by Kathryn Mullen) returned to the show and rejoined Wayne. The pair gave Kermit such a guilt trip for having fired them that he rehired them on the spot. Once they started singing, however, Kermit remembered why he'd fired them in the first place and once again dispensed with their services. Although Wayne appeared once more on the show's fifth season, this would be Wanda's last appearance until the 1980s, when she appeared in the background of Muppets Studios Presents: You're the Director, a Vision View-Master video game. Of late, Wayne and Wanda made an appearance of sorts in The Muppets Big Book of Crafts as a pair of finger puppets designed and built by April Asher. They have also been featured in BOOM! Studios' comic books, most notably performing "When the Lusitania Went Down" (with the usual introduction by Sam the Eagle and disastrously premature ending) in issue #1 of The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson and "Mighty Like a Rose" in issue #3 of Family Reunion. Unlike most other "musical numbers" featured in this printed title, these two numbers are actually songs in the public domain (much in the style of the songs Wayne and Wanda performed on The Muppet Show) as opposed to original poems by Roger Langridge. In the Pigs in Space comic, Rizzo the Rat suggests an idea: "Wayne and Wanda Night Fever". Most recently, the duo have appeared in the feature film The Muppets, with Wayne now performed by David Rudman. They were mainly background characters, but they get a few seconds of fame when they are caught kissing when the electricity to the theater has been restored after Tex Richman turns it off. Filmography Wayne *''The Muppet Show'' **"The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 1 - 5) **episode 101 pilot ("You Made Me Love You") **episode 102 **episode 103 ("Willkommen" "Stormy Weather" "Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Clues", closing) **episode 104 (closing) **episode 114 ("Try to Remember") **episode 115 ("Friends") **episode 120 ("Broadway Baby") **episode 121 **episode 122 ("There's No Business Like Show Business") **episode 124 ("The Blue Danube") **episode 301 ("My Wild Irish Rose") **episode 304 (Muppet Melodrama) **episode 305 **episode 306 (Muppet Melodrama) **episode 306 **episode 310 ("Catch a Falling Star") **episode 316 ("Jogging") **episode 317 ("Dog Walk") **episode 320 **episode 406 **episode 509 *''The Muppet Movie'' ("The Rainbow Connection" Finale) *The Muppet Show Theme Music Video *''The Muppets'' (performed by David Rudman) Wanda *''The Muppet Show'' **"The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 1 - 5) **episode 101 pilot ("You Made Me Love You") **episode 101 (At the Dance) **episode 102 **episode 103 ("Willkommen", closing) **episode 105 (closing) **episode 106 (closing) **episode 107 **episode 108 (closing) **episode 111 ("Sing" closing) **episode 120 ("Broadway Baby") **episode 121 **episode 122 ("There's No Business Like Show Business") **episode 124 ("Blue Danube") **episode 406 (performed by Kathryn Mullen) *''The Muppet Movie'' ("The Rainbow Connection" Finale) *''The Muppets Take Manhattan'' (wedding finale) *''The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years'' *''Muppets Studios Presents: You're the Director'' VHS game *The Muppet Show Theme Music Video *''The Muppets'' Category:Character Pairs Category:Muppet Characters Category:Puppet Characters